Confession (repentance) is one of the seven Christian Sacraments, in which the penitent, confessing his sins to the priest, with visible forgiveness of sins (reading a prayer of absolution), is invisibly absolved from them. By the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. This sacrament was established by the Savior, who said to His disciples: “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose (untie) on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Gospel of Matthew, chapter 18, verse 18). And in another place: “Receive the Holy Spirit: whose sins you forgive, their sins are forgiven; on whomever you leave it, it will remain on him” (Gospel of John, chapter 20, verses 22-23). The apostles transferred the power to “bind and loose” to their successors - the bishops, who in turn, when performing the Sacrament of ordination (priesthood), transfer this power to the priests.

The Holy Fathers call repentance the second baptism: if at baptism a person is cleansed of power original sin given to him at birth from our ancestors Adam and Eve, then repentance washes him from the filth of his own sins, committed by him after the Sacrament of Baptism.

In order for the Sacrament of Repentance to be accomplished, the following are necessary on the part of the penitent: awareness of his sinfulness, sincere heartfelt repentance for his sins, the desire to leave the sin and not repeat it, faith in Jesus Christ and hope in His mercy, faith that the Sacrament of Confession has the power to cleanse and wash away, through the prayer of the priest, sincerely confessed sins.

The Apostle John says: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1st Epistle of John, chapter 1, verse 7). At the same time, you hear from many: “I don’t kill, I don’t steal, I don’t

I commit adultery, so what should I repent of?” But if we carefully study God’s commandments, we will discover that we sin against many of them. Conventionally, all sins committed by a person can be divided into three groups: sins against God, sins against neighbors and sins against oneself.

Ingratitude to God.

Disbelief. Doubt in faith. Justifying one's disbelief through an atheistic upbringing.

Apostasy, cowardly silence when the faith of Christ is blasphemed, not wearing a cross, visiting various sects.

Taking the name of God in vain (when the name of God is mentioned not in prayer or in pious conversation about Him).

Oath in the name of the Lord.

Fortune telling, treatment with whispering grandmothers, turning to psychics, reading books on black, white and other magic, reading and distributing occult literature and various false teachings.

Thoughts about suicide.

Playing cards and other gambling games.

Failure to comply with morning and evening prayer rule.

Failure to visit the temple of God on Sundays and holidays.

Failure to observe fasts on Wednesday and Friday, violation of other fasts established by the Church.

Light (non-daily) reading Holy Scripture, soulful literature.

Breaking vows made to God.

Despair in difficult situations and disbelief in God's Providence, fear of old age, poverty, illness.

Absent-mindedness during prayer, thoughts about everyday things during worship.

Condemnation of the Church and its ministers.

Addiction to various earthly things and pleasures.

Continuation of a sinful life in the sole hope of God’s mercy, that is, excessive trust in God.

It’s a waste of time watching TV shows and reading entertaining books to the detriment of time for prayer, reading the Gospel and spiritual literature.

Concealing sins during confession and unworthy communion of the Holy Mysteries.

Arrogance, self-reliance, i.e. excessive hope in one’s own strength and in someone else’s help, without trusting that everything is in God’s hands.

Raising children outside the Christian faith.

Hot temper, anger, irritability.

Arrogance.

Perjury.

Mockery.

Stinginess.

Non-repayment of debts.

Failure to pay money earned for work.

Failure to provide assistance to those in need.

Disrespect for parents, irritation with their old age.

Disrespect for elders.

Lack of diligence in your work.

Condemnation.

Appropriation of someone else's property is theft.

Quarrels with neighbors and neighbors.

Killing your child in the womb (abortion), inducing others to commit murder (abortion).

Murder with words is bringing a person through slander or condemnation to a painful state and even to death.

Drinking alcohol at funerals for the dead instead of intense prayer for them.

Verbosity, gossip, idle talk. ,

Reasonless laughter.

Foul language.

Self-love.

Doing good deeds for show.

Vanity.

The desire to get rich.

Love of money.

Envy.

Drunkenness, drug use.

Gluttony.

Fornication - inciting lustful thoughts, unclean desires, lustful touching, watching erotic films and reading such books.

Fornication is the physical intimacy of persons not related by marriage.

Adultery is a violation of marital fidelity.

Unnatural fornication - physical intimacy between persons of the same sex, masturbation.

Incest is physical intimacy with close relatives or nepotism.

Although the above sins are conditionally divided into three parts, ultimately they are all sins both against God (since they violate His commandments and thereby offend Him) and against their neighbors (since they do not allow true Christian relationships and love to be revealed ), and against themselves (because they interfere with the salvific dispensation of the soul).

Anyone who wants to repent before God for their sins must prepare for the Sacrament of Confession. You need to prepare for confession in advance: it is advisable to read literature on the Sacraments of Confession and Communion, remember all your sins, you can write them down on

a separate piece of paper to review before confession. Sometimes a piece of paper with the listed sins is given to the confessor to read, but the sins that especially burden the soul must be told out loud. There is no need to tell the confessor long stories; it is enough to state the sin itself. For example, if you are at enmity with relatives or neighbors, you do not need to tell what caused this enmity - you need to repent of the very sin of judging your relatives or neighbors. What is important to God and the confessor is not the list of sins, but the repentant feeling of the person being confessed, not detailed stories, but a contrite heart. We must remember that confession is not only an awareness of one’s own shortcomings, but, above all, a thirst to be cleansed of them. In no case is it acceptable to justify yourself - this is no longer repentance! Elder Silouan of Athos explains what real repentance is: “This is a sign of the forgiveness of sins: if you hated sin, then the Lord forgave you your sins.”

It is good to develop the habit of analyzing the past day every evening and bringing daily repentance before God, writing down serious sins for future confession with your confessor. It is necessary to reconcile with your neighbors and ask for forgiveness from everyone who was offended. When preparing for confession, it is advisable to strengthen your evening prayer rule by reading the Canon of Repentance, which is found in the Orthodox prayer book.

To confess, you need to find out when the Sacrament of Confession takes place in the church. In those churches where services are performed every day, the Sacrament of Confession is also celebrated every day. In those churches where there are no daily services, you must first familiarize yourself with the service schedule.

Children under seven years of age (in the Church they are called babies) begin the Sacrament of Communion without prior confession, but it is necessary from early childhood to develop in children a sense of reverence for this great

Sacrament. Frequent communion without proper preparation can develop in children an undesirable sense of the ordinariness of what is happening. It is advisable to prepare infants 2-3 days in advance for the upcoming Communion: read the Gospel, lives of saints, and other soul-helping books with them, reduce, or better yet completely eliminate, television viewing (but this must be done very tactfully, without developing negative associations in the child with preparation for Communion ), follow their prayer in the morning and before bed, talk with the child about the past days and lead him to a feeling of shame for his own misdeeds. The main thing to remember is that there is nothing more effective for a child than the personal example of parents.

Starting from the age of seven, children (adolescents) begin the Sacrament of Communion, like adults, only after first performing the Sacrament of Confession. In many ways, the sins listed in the previous sections are also inherent in children, but still, children's confession has its own characteristics. To motivate children to sincere repentance, you can pray for them to read the following list of possible sins:

Did you lie in bed in the morning and therefore skip the morning prayer rule?

Did you not sit down at the table without praying and did you not go to bed without praying?

Do you know the most important ones by heart? orthodox prayers: “Our Father”, “Jesus Prayer”, “Virgin Mother of God, Rejoice”, a prayer to your Heavenly patron, whose name you bear?

Did you go to church every Sunday?

Have you been interested in various amusements in church holidays instead of visiting the temple of God?

Did you behave properly at church services, did you not run around the church, did you not have empty conversations with your peers, thereby leading them into temptation?

Did you pronounce the name of God unnecessarily?

Are you performing the sign of the cross correctly, are you not in a hurry, are you not distorting the sign of the cross?

Were you distracted by extraneous thoughts while praying?

Do you read the Gospel and other spiritual books?

Do you wear pectoral cross and aren't you ashamed of him?

Aren't you using a cross as a decoration, which is sinful?

Do you wear various amulets, for example, zodiac signs?

Didn’t you tell fortunes, didn’t you tell fortunes?

Didn’t you hide your sins before the priest in confession out of false shame, and then receive communion unworthily?

Were you not proud of yourself and others of your successes and abilities?

Have you ever argued with someone just to gain the upper hand in the argument?

Did you deceive your parents for fear of being punished?

During Lent, did you eat something like ice cream without your parents’ permission?

Did you listen to your parents, didn’t you argue with them, didn’t you demand an expensive purchase from them?

Have you ever beaten anyone? Did he incite others to do this?

Did you offend the younger ones?

Did you torture animals?

Did you gossip about anyone, did you snitch on anyone?

Have you ever laughed at people with any physical disabilities?

Have you tried smoking, drinking, sniffing glue or using drugs?

Didn't you use foul language?

Didn't you play cards?

Have you ever engaged in handjobs?

Did you appropriate someone else's property for yourself?

Have you ever had the habit of taking without asking what does not belong to you?

Weren't you too lazy to help your parents around the house?

Was he pretending to be sick to evade his responsibilities?

Were you jealous of others?

The above list is only a general outline of possible sins. Each child may have his own, individual experiences associated with specific cases. The task of parents is to prepare the child for repentant feelings before the Sacrament of Confession. You can advise him to remember his misdeeds committed after the last confession, write his sins on a piece of paper, but you should not do this for him. The main thing: the child must understand that the Sacrament of Confession is a Sacrament that cleanses the soul from sins, subject to sincere, sincere repentance and the desire not to repeat them again.

Confession is performed in churches either in the evening after the evening service, or in the morning before the start of the liturgy. Under no circumstances should you be late for the start of confession, since the Sacrament begins with the reading of the rite, in which everyone who wishes to confess must prayerfully participate. When reading the rite, the priest turns to the penitents so that they say their names - everyone answers in an undertone. Those who are late for the start of confession are not allowed to the Sacrament; the priest, if there is such an opportunity, at the end of confession reads the rite for them again and accepts confession, or schedules it for another day. Women cannot begin the Sacrament of Repentance during the period of monthly cleansing.

Confession usually takes place in a church with a crowd of people, so you need to respect the secret of confession, not crowd next to the priest receiving confession, and not embarrass the person confessing, revealing his sins to the priest. Confession must be complete. You cannot confess some sins first and leave others for next time. Those sins that the penitent confessed in pre-

previous confessions and those that were already released to him are not mentioned again. If possible, you should confess to the same confessor. You should not, having a permanent confessor, look for another to confess your sins, which a feeling of false shame prevents your familiar confessor from revealing. Those who do this by their actions try to deceive God Himself: in confession, we confess our sins not to our confessor, but together with him to the Savior Himself.

In large churches, due to the large number of penitents and the impossibility of the priest to accept confession from everyone, a “general confession” is usually practiced, when the priest lists out loud the most common sins and the confessors standing in front of him repent of them, after which everyone, in turn, comes up for a prayer of absolution . Those who have never been to confession or have not gone to confession for several years should avoid general confession. Such people must undergo private confession - for which they need to choose either a weekday, when there are not many people confessing in the church, or find a parish where only private confession is performed. If this is not possible, you need to go to the priest during a general confession for a prayer of permission, among the last, so as not to detain anyone, and, having explained the situation, open up to him about your sins. Those who have grave sins should do the same.

Many devotees of piety warn that a grave sin, which the confessor kept silent about during general confession, remains unrepentant, and therefore not forgiven.

After confessing sins and reading the prayer of absolution by the priest, the penitent kisses the Cross and the Gospel lying on the lectern and, if he was preparing for communion, takes a blessing from the confessor for communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

In some cases, the priest may impose penance on the penitent - spiritual exercises intended to deepen repentance and eradicate sinful habits. Penance must be treated as the will of God, expressed through the priest, requiring mandatory fulfillment for the healing of the soul of the penitent. If it is impossible to various reasons To perform penance, you should contact the priest who imposed it to resolve the difficulties that have arisen.

Those who wish not only to confess, but also to receive communion, must prepare worthily and in accordance with the requirements of the Church for the Sacrament of Communion. This preparation is called fasting.

The days of fasting usually last a week, in extreme cases - three days. Fasting is prescribed on these days. Meal food is excluded from the diet - meat, dairy products, eggs, and on days of strict fasting - fish. Spouses refrain from physical intimacy. The family refuses entertainment and watching television. If circumstances permit, you should attend church services on these days. The morning and evening prayer rules are followed more diligently, with the addition of the reading of the Penitential Canon.

Regardless of when the Sacrament of Confession is celebrated in the church - in the evening or in the morning, it is necessary to attend the evening service on the eve of communion. In the evening, before reading prayers for bedtime, three canons are read: Repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ, Mother of God, Guardian Angel. You can read each canon separately, or use prayer books where these three canons are combined. Then the canon for Holy Communion is read before the prayers for Holy Communion, which are read in the morning. For those who find it difficult to perform such a prayer rule in

one day, take a blessing from the priest to read three canons in advance during the days of fasting.

It is quite difficult for children to follow all the prayer rules for preparing for communion. Parents, together with their confessor, need to choose the optimal number of prayers that the child can handle, then gradually increase the number of necessary prayers needed to prepare for communion, up to the full prayer rule for Holy Communion.

For some, it is very difficult to read the necessary canons and prayers. For this reason, others do not confess or receive communion for years. Many people confuse preparation for confession (which does not require such a large volume of prayers read) and preparation for communion. Such people can be recommended to begin the Sacraments of Confession and Communion in stages. First, you need to properly prepare for confession and, when confessing your sins, ask your confessor for advice. We need to pray to the Lord to help us overcome difficulties and give us strength to adequately prepare for the Sacrament of Communion.

Since it is customary to begin the Sacrament of Communion on an empty stomach, from twelve o'clock at night they no longer eat or drink (smokers do not smoke). The exception is infants (children under seven years of age). But children from a certain age (starting from 5-6 years, and if possible earlier) must be accustomed to the existing rule.

In the morning, they also don’t eat or drink anything and, of course, don’t smoke, you can only brush your teeth. After reading morning prayers prayers for Holy Communion are read. If reading prayers for Holy Communion in the morning is difficult, then you need to take a blessing from the priest to read them the evening before. If confession is performed in the church in the morning, you must arrive on time, before confession begins. If confession was made the night before, then the person confessing comes to the beginning of the service and prays with everyone.

Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ is a Sacrament established by the Savior Himself during the Last Supper: “Jesus took bread and, blessing it, broke it and, giving it to the disciples, said: Take, eat: this is My Body. And taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Gospel of Matthew, chapter 26, verses 26-28).

During Divine Liturgy The Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is performed - bread and wine are mysteriously transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ and the communicants, receiving Them during communion, mysteriously, incomprehensible to human mind, are united with Christ Himself, since all of Him is contained in every Particle of Communion.

Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ is necessary to enter eternal life. The Savior Himself speaks about this: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you will not have life in you. He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day...” (Gospel of John, chapter 6, verses 53 - 54).

The Sacrament of Communion is incomprehensibly great, and therefore requires preliminary cleansing by the Sacrament of Repentance; the only exception is infants under seven years of age, who receive communion without the preparation required for the laity. Women need to wipe off lipstick from their lips. Women should not receive communion during the period of monthly cleansing. Women after childbirth are allowed to take communion only after the cleansing prayer of the fortieth day is read over them.

When the priest comes out with the Holy Gifts, the communicants make one prostration (if it is a weekday) or a bow (if it is a Sunday or holiday) and carefully listen to the words of the prayers read by the priest, repeating them to themselves. After reading the prayers

private traders, folding their hands on their chests crosswise (right over left), decorously, without crowding, in deep humility approach the Holy Chalice. A pious custom has developed to let children go to the Chalice first, then men come up, and then women. You should not be baptized at the Chalice, so as not to accidentally touch it. Having said his name out loud, the communicant, with his lips open, accepts the Holy Gifts - the Body and Blood of Christ. After communion, the deacon or sexton wipes the communicant’s mouth with a special cloth, after which he kisses the edge of the Holy Chalice and goes to a special table, where he takes the drink (warmth) and eats a piece of prosphora. This is done so that not a single particle of the Body of Christ remains in the mouth. Without accepting the warmth, you cannot venerate either the icons, the Cross, or the Gospel.

After receiving the warmth, the communicants do not leave the church and pray with everyone until the end of the service. After the emptiness (the final words of the service), the communicants approach the Cross and listen carefully to the prayers of thanksgiving after Holy Communion. After listening to the prayers, the communicants ceremoniously disperse, trying to preserve the purity of their souls, cleansed of sins, for as long as possible, without wasting time on empty talk and deeds that are not good for the soul. On the day after communion, the Holy Mysteries are not performed prostrations, when blessing the priest, they do not touch the hand. You can only venerate icons, the Cross and the Gospel. The rest of the day must be spent piously: avoid verbosity (it is better to remain silent in general), watch TV, exclude marital intimacy, it is advisable for smokers to abstain from smoking. It is advisable to read prayers of thanksgiving at home after Holy Communion. It is a prejudice that you cannot shake hands on the day of communion. Under no circumstances should you receive communion several times in one day.

In cases of illness and infirmity, you can receive communion at home. For this purpose, a priest is invited to the house. Depending

Based on his condition, the sick person is adequately prepared for confession and communion. In any case, he can receive communion only on an empty stomach (with the exception of dying people). Children under seven years of age do not receive communion at home, since they, unlike adults, can only receive communion with the Blood of Christ, and the reserve Gifts with which the priest administers communion at home contain only particles of the Body of Christ, saturated with His Blood. For the same reason, infants do not receive communion at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, celebrated on weekdays during Great Lent.

Each Christian either himself determines the time when he needs to confess and receive communion, or does this with the blessing of his spiritual father. There is a pious custom of receiving communion at least five times a year - on each of the four multi-day fasts and on the day of your Angel (the day of remembrance of the saint whose name you bear).

How often it is necessary to receive communion is given by the pious advice of the Monk Nicodemus the Holy Mountain: “True communicants are always, following Communion, in a tactile state of grace. The heart then tastes the Lord spiritually.

But just as we are constrained in body and surrounded by external affairs and relationships in which we must take part for a long time, the spiritual taste of the Lord, due to the splitting of our attention and feelings, is weakened day by day, obscured and hidden...

Therefore, zealots, sensing its impoverishment, hasten to restore it in strength, and when they restore it, they feel that they are tasting the Lord again.”

Published by the Orthodox parish in the name of St. Seraphim of Sarov, Novosibirsk.

Church life is filled with different rules and rituals. But there is one most important one - this is the Sacrament of Communion. However, you need to know exactly how to take communion in church. Otherwise, strict church orders can be violated. It is believed that this is an insult to God; such a sin should not be allowed. Therefore, this issue should be taken seriously.

What is Communion

Before taking communion in church, you need to devote several days to preparation. This is the most important Sacrament of the seven that exist in Orthodoxy. Catholics have similar sacraments. Protestant churches have different views on this issue.

During the Last Supper, Christ gave communion to his disciples for the first time and offered them bread and wine. Until the moment of the Savior’s death on the cross, people sacrificed animals as a prototype of future trials of the Son of God. After He was resurrected, there was no longer any need for other offerings. Therefore, prayers are now read over bread and wine. They also administer Communion.

Why do the churches demand that parishioners take communion and confess? How to do it right? This is a symbol of the unity of God with man. Christ Himself commanded that people do this. The sacrament transforms bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus. By accepting them, the believer accepts the Lord into himself. He maintains his spiritual strength at the proper level.

Communion gives a great “charge” of spirituality. It is especially important that this Sacrament be performed on the sick and dying. The living should start it regularly. At least once during Lent, preferably on every major holiday.

How to prepare for communion

To the sacrament in Orthodox Church They don't allow everyone in. A number of conditions must be met:

• be an Orthodox Christian;

• maintain strict fasting (at least 3 days);

• read all the necessary prayers;

• go to confession after the All-Night Vigil;

• come to the Liturgy in the morning.

Only if all these conditions are fulfilled will a parishioner be able to properly receive communion in the Church. In some churches, confession is not accepted the night before, but in the morning during the service. But then it turns out that during the Divine service people are distracted by standing in lines. It is still better to confess when there is no need to rush and there is no crowd around.

The following are allowed to the Sacrament without confession:

• infants (children under 6 years old) - however, it is not advisable to feed them before the service;

• those who received Baptism the day before - but they also need to fast and also read prayers.

The fast must be strict - you must give up all animal food (meat, fish, all dairy, eggs). It will help you get your bearings church calendar. It indicates which products are allowed. On some days and vegetable oil may be prohibited. For sick and elderly people, the priest can make an exception, but in general it is not customary to relax the fast. You should also not drink after 12 midnight until the very moment of Communion.

How to confess in church correctly

Many are also concerned about the question of how to properly confess in church - embarrassment and inexperience get in the way. But in order to prove to God your firm desire to improve, you will have to overcome your fears. The priest is only a witness, he has seen and heard a lot, so it is unlikely that he will be greatly surprised. But before you approach your confessor, you need to prepare.

Since many people feel nervous during confession, there is a tradition of writing down their sins on a piece of paper. At the end of confession, the priest takes this “list” and tears it up, as a sign that the Lord forgives everything. To compose a confession, you can use a special brochure, or simply take the 10 commandments and think about how you sinned against each.

• During confession, you should not blame others, thereby justifying your negative behavior. Example: a wife yelled at her husband and said that it was “himself to blame” because he came drunk. Let it be so, but in any situation you must restrain yourself, act with love, without insults. Just like confessing in church, it is necessary to talk only about yourself, and not about others.

• There is also no need to boast that there are no sins against some commandments. And is this so? Adultery is considered not only physical betrayal, but even thoughts about it. Smoking is a slow form of suicide, and this gravest sin. In addition, the smoker harms those around him, aggravating his guilt. It is necessary to repent of this sin, because a Christian must maintain order not only in the soul, but also monitor the health of the body.

• There is no need to argue with the priest. This is a serious sin, for which one can be excommunicated from communion altogether. Most likely, there are things that are still unclear to you. You should reflect on what has been said.

There are no strict rules governing what to say in church during confession. It is important to show a sincere desire to improve. Confessors usually help those who are experiencing difficulties by asking questions. There is no need to list every sin whose name is found in the books. Many have a common root - pride, greed, unwillingness to work on oneself, dislike for neighbors.

Prayers and Worship

After the sins are named, the priest will cover his head with an epitrachelion (part of the vestment, a long embroidered strip) and read a special prayer. During this you will have to say your name. After this, take the blessing from the priest, listen to the instructions, if any. Then you need to go home to prepare further.

Before taking communion, you should read the daily prayer rule and special sacramental canons. They are published in all prayer books. The canon is a type of church poetry that tunes the soul in the right way. You can read them in church before confessing.

The canons are followed by prayers; they can be read in the morning, if there is time, but not during the Liturgy, but before it. The participle rule is sometimes broken into several parts to be read over three days. But then the necessary mood is not achieved. If in doubt, you need to ask the priest for advice - he will tell you what is best to do.

We must try to maintain peace of mind during the days of fasting and not quarrel with anyone, or all preparation will be lost. Many holy fathers teach that abstinence from certain food is not as important as abstaining from anger and bad deeds.

• You must come to the Liturgy without delay.

• Small children are usually brought to Communion later - the priest will tell you what time to come.

• Women should not put on much perfume and make-up - the Church is not a secular get-together, but the Temple of God.

• If someone makes a remark in church, it is better not to be offended, but to thank and step aside.

• If after confession you have committed some sin, you must try to find your confessor and tell him about it. Usually, before Communion, one of the clergy leaves the altar to maintain order.

• Before going to the Chalice, you need to fold your hands on your chest so that the right one is on top. Make prostrations in advance!

If a person has just received Baptism, he is obliged to come to the next Liturgy. He will be allowed to receive Communion without confession. Otherwise, the “Christian” demonstrates complete disregard for everything on which spiritual life is built. Baptism as a ritual does not guarantee salvation; for this it is necessary to constantly improve.

Now you know how to properly receive communion and confess in church. Over time, most of the questions disappear by themselves, yesterday's beginner becomes an experienced parishioner. May there be acceptance of the Holy Mysteries of Christ for the salvation of soul and body!

How to confess correctly for the first time

How to properly take communion and confess in church was last modified: July 8th, 2017 by Bogolub

Communion, communion, confession: What is it and how to properly prepare for them?

What are confession and communion?

Confession is punishment for sins.

Confession is the “second Baptism.” Baptism of fire, in which, thanks to shame and repentance, we regain spiritual purity and receive forgiveness of sin from the Lord God Himself.

Confession is a great sacrament.

Confession is the flagellation of one’s own sins by revealing them, frank confession in order to feel a feeling of deep disgust towards them and towards your sinful life and not repeat them in the future.

Confession is a cleansing of the soul, and a healthy spirit gives a healthy body.

Why confess in church to a priest? Isn't it enough that I repented?

No, not enough. After all, sin is a crime for which one must be punished. And if we punish ourselves with our own repentance (which, of course, is very important and necessary), it is clear that we will not be too strict with ourselves.

Therefore, for the final and complete reconciliation of a person with the Lord, there is a mediator - a priest (and earlier - the apostles, on whom the Holy Spirit descended).

Agree, it is much more difficult and shameful to tell a stranger about all your many sins in all their glory than to tell yourself.

This is the punishment and the meaning of confession - a person finally realizes the full depth of his sinful life, understands his wrongness in many situations, sincerely repents of what he has done, tells the priest about his sins, receives remission of sins, and next time he himself will be afraid of unnecessary things sin once.

After all, sinning is easy, pleasant and even joyful, but repenting of one’s own sins and confessing is a heavy cross. And the point of confession is that each time our cross becomes lighter and lighter.

We all sin in our youth - it is important to stop in time before it is too late.

How to properly prepare for confession and confess?

1. You must fast (fast) for at least 3 days, because... do not eat fast food - eggs, meat, dairy products and even fish. You should eat bread, vegetables, fruits, and cereals in moderation.

You should also try to sin less, not engage in intimate relationships, do not watch TV, the Internet, do not read newspapers, do not have fun.

Be sure to ask for forgiveness from those you have offended. Make peace with your enemies if not real life, then at least in your soul forgive them.

You cannot begin confession and communion with anger or hatred towards someone in your soul - this is a great sin.

2. You need to write down all your sins on a piece of paper.

3. You must attend and stand through the entire evening service in church on Saturday, go through the rite of unction, when the priest uses oil (oil) to place a cross on the forehead of each believer.

Women should not go to church in trousers, with lipstick or makeup in general, short skirts well above the knees, with bare shoulders, back and neckline, without a scarf covering the head.

Men are not allowed to enter the church in shorts, with bare shoulders, chest and back, in a hat, with cigarettes or booze.

4. After the church evening service, you need to subtract evening prayers for the night to come, 3 canons - the Penitent One, the Mother of God and the Guardian Angel, and also read the canon located inside the Follow-up to Holy Communion and consisting of 9 songs.

If you wish, you can read an akathist to the Sweetest Jesus.

After 12 midnight you cannot eat or drink anything until communion.

6. You must be in time for the beginning of the morning service in the church at 7-30 or 8-00 in the morning, light a candle to God, the Mother of God or the saints, take a turn in the confessional and confess.

Upon entering the temple, bow to the ground (bend over and touch the floor with your hand), ask the Lord, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”

7. You must confess out loud so that the priest hears your sins and can understand whether you repent or not. It’s best if you talk about your sins from memory, but if there are a lot of them and you’re afraid you won’t remember them all, you can read from a note, but the priests don’t really like that.

8. During confession, one must speak candidly and openly about one’s sins, remembering that the priest is also a human being and also a sinner, and that he is forbidden to divulge the secret of confession under pain of deprivation of the priesthood.

9. During confession, you cannot justify yourself and engage in self-apology; it is even more sinful to blame other people for your sins - you are only responsible for yourself, and condemnation is a sin.

10. Do not wait for questions from the priest - tell him honestly and sincerely about what torments your conscience, but do not indulge in long stories about yourself and justify your shortcomings.

Say - “guilty of deceiving his mother, insulting his father, stole 200 rubles,” i.e. be specific and concise.

If after committing a sin you have corrected yourself, say so: “In childhood and adolescence I did not believe in God, but now I believe,” “I used to use drugs, but it has been 3 years since I corrected myself.”

Those. Let the priest know whether this sin of yours was committed in the past or recently, whether you have actively repented of it or not yet.

Check yourself or just talk about what you have done and what is now tormenting your soul.

Try to tell honestly and without concealment about all your sins. If you forgot about one or can’t remember everything, say so - I’m guilty of other sins, but which ones exactly - I don’t remember them all.

11. After confession, sincerely try not to repeat the sins you repented of, otherwise the Lord may be angry with you.

12. Remember: you need to confess and receive communion once every 3 weeks, although the more often the better, the main thing is with clear conscience and sincere repentance.

13. Remember: the presence of physical or mental illness is a sign of great unrepentant sin.

14. Remember: during confession, the person of the priest is not important, what is important is you and your repentance before the Lord.

15. Remember: those sins that you told in confession will not be repeated in subsequent confessions, for they have already been forgiven.

Exception: if, after confessing a certain sin, your conscience continues to torment you and you feel that this sin has not been forgiven you. Then you can confess this sin again.

But this does not mean that you can forget about these sins and sin again. Sin is a scar that, even when healed, forever leaves a mark on a person’s soul.

16. Remember: the Lord is merciful and able to forgive us everything. The main thing is that we do not forgive ourselves for our sins, remember them and correct ourselves.

17. Remember: tears, as a sign of repentance, bring joy to both the priest and the Lord. The main thing is that they are not crocodile.

18. Remember: weak memory and forgetfulness are not an excuse in confession. Pick up a pen and prepare for confession according to all the rules, so that you don’t forget anything later.

Sins are debts, and debts must be paid. Don't forget about it!

19. Children from 7 years of age can and should go to confession and receive communion. From this same age, you must remember all your sins and repent of them in confession.

How to properly prepare for communion and receive communion?

Preparation for confession is the same preparation for holy communion. After confession you must remain in church.

You should not be afraid of communion, because... We are all people - unworthy of holy communion, but the Lord God created communion for us, and not us for communion. Therefore, none of us is worthy of these holy mysteries, and that is why we need it so much.

You cannot receive communion:

1) people who do not wear a cross all the time;

2) who have anger, enmity or hatred towards someone;

3) those who did not fast the day before, who did not attend the evening service the day before, who did not confess, who did not read the Rules for Holy Communion, who ate in the morning on the day of communion, who were late for the Divine Liturgy;

4) women during menstruation and after 40 days after the birth of the child;

5) women and men in open clothes with bare shoulders, chest, back;

6) men in shorts;

7) women with lipstick, cosmetics, without a scarf on their heads, in trousers;

8) sectarians, heretics and schismatics and those who attend such meetings.

Before Communion:

1. You can’t eat or drink from 12 o’clock at night.

2. You need to brush your teeth.

3. Do not be late for the morning service.

4. When the priest brings out the Holy Gifts before the rite of Communion, you must bow to the ground (bend down and touch the floor with your hand).

5. Once again bow to the ground after the prayer read by the priest “I believe, Lord, and I confess...”

6. When the Royal Doors open and communion begins, you must cross yourself, and then place your left hand on your right shoulder, and your right hand on your left shoulder. Those. should be a cross right hand- above.

7. Remember: the first to receive communion are always church ministers, monks, children, and then everyone else.

8. You cannot arrange a stampede and a fight in the queue in front of the Holy Chalice, a showdown, otherwise your entire fast, reading the canons and confession will go down the drain!

9. As you approach the Chalice, say to yourself the Jesus Prayer “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” or sing a song with everyone in the temple.

10. Before the Holy Chalice, you need to bow to the ground; if there are a lot of people, you need to do it in advance so as not to disturb anyone.

11. Women need to wipe lipstick off their faces!!!

12. Approaching the Chalice with the Holy Gifts - the Blood and Body of Christ, say your name loudly and clearly, open your mouth, chew and swallow the Holy Gifts, be sure to kiss the lower edge of the Chalice (symbol of the rib of Jesus pierced by a warrior, from which water and blood flowed).

14. You cannot kiss the priest’s hand at the Chalice or touch the Chalice with your hands. You cannot be baptized at the Chalice!!!

15. After the Chalice, you cannot kiss icons!

After Communion you must:

1. Make a bow before the icon of Jesus Christ.

2. Go to the table with cups and finely chopped prosphora (antidor), you need to take one cup and drink warm tea, then eat antidor. If desired and possible, you can put money in a special saucer.

3. Only after this can you talk and kiss the icons.

4. You cannot leave the church before the end of the service - you must listen to the prayers of thanksgiving.

If your church did not read prayers of thanksgiving for Communion after the Eucharist, you should read them yourself when you return home.

5. On the day of Communion, one does not kneel, except for special fasting days (when reading the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian and bowing on Holy Saturday before the Shroud of Christ) and the day of the Holy Trinity.

6. After communion, you should try to behave modestly, not sin - especially the first 2 hours after receiving the Holy Gifts, not eat or drink too much, and avoid loud entertainment.

7. After communion, you can kiss each other and venerate the icons.

Of course, it is not advisable to break all these rules, but it will be better if you do not intentionally forget them, but in the end you sincerely confess and take communion.

Only the Lord is sinless, and we, because we are sinners, must not forget about the need for regular confession and communion.

As a rule, after a good confession, a person’s soul becomes a little easier; in some subtle way he feels that all or part of his sins have been forgiven. And after communion, even in a very tired and weak body, a feeling of strength and inspiration usually arises.

Try to go to confession and communion more often, get sick less and be happier thanks to God and faith in Him!

1. About the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

THE SACRAMENT OF COMMUNION

The Sacrament of Communion (Eucharist) is the most important of the Christian Sacraments, in which the believer, under the guise of bread and wine, receives (tastes) the very Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and through this is mysteriously united with God and becomes a partaker of eternal life.

The word “Communion” (“Communion”) comes from the word “part” and means participation, involvement, connection, communion, belonging to something.

The Sacrament of Communion is the greatest miracle on earth, which is performed constantly during the divine service called the Liturgy, during which bread and wine, by the power and action of the Holy Spirit, become the true Body and true Blood of Christ

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill:“We must remember that the most important thing we do as a Church is Most Holy Sacrament Eucharist. That is why it is important for believers to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ more often.

In ancient times, when one of the baptized, while at the Liturgy, did not receive communion, he had to publicly explain to the bishop why he was avoiding receiving the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

Today this tradition has left us due to our weak faith, due to our weak piety. But this tradition is sacred, and we should all strive to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ as often as possible, first confessing our sins, preparing our souls for the communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. And we will believe that it is through this communion that the Lord will replenish our infirmities, our weaknesses and heal our ailments.”

Holy Righteous Alexy Mechev: “ Take communion more often and do not say that you are unworthy. If you talk like that, you will never receive communion, because you will never be worthy. Do you think that there is at least one person on earth worthy of receiving the Holy Mysteries? No one deserves this, and if we do receive communion, it is only by the special mercy of God. We are not created for communion, but communion is for us. It is we, sinners, unworthy, weak, who more than anyone else need this saving source... I give you communion often, I proceed from the purpose of introducing you to the Lord, so that you feel how good it is to be with Christ.”

Every Sunday and every holiday, unforgettably partaking of the Holy Mysteries, Venerable Seraphim of Sarov When asked how often one should start receiving Communion, he answered: “The more often, the better.” He said to the priest of the Diveyevo community Vasily Sadovsky: “The grace bestowed upon us by Communion is so great that no matter how unworthy and no matter how sinful a person may be, if only in the humble consciousness of his total sinfulness he approaches the Lord, who redeems us all, at least from head to toe covered with sores of sins, and will be cleansed by the grace of Christ, become more and more bright, completely enlightened and saved.” You must prepare yourself for the sacrament of Holy Communion with prayer, fasting and repentance. In addition, it is very important to remember that preparation for Communion should be not only the fulfillment of certain instructions, but our entire life, built on Gospel principles.

How to prepare for the Sacrament of Holy Communion

Anyone wishing to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ must prayerfully prepare yourself for this: pray more and more diligently at home, visit church services. The time of preparation for Communion is called fasting.

On the eve of communion, it is customary to attend an evening temple service (if it is scheduled) or in the morning at the beginning of the morning service.

To prepare prayerfully for Holy Communion on the eve of communion, you need to read the following home prayer rule:

• Akathists to the Sweetest Christ or the Theotokos

three canons:

• canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ
• prayer canon to the Most Holy Theotokos
• canon to the Guardian Angel
• Following to Holy Communion

All this is in the Orthodox prayer book.

It is possible and even advisable to read the prayers mentioned above gradually, adding to the daily prayer rule (morning and evening prayers, reading the Gospel, Psalms and patristic works) according to the canon on the day, and on the eve of Communion the very Follow-up to Holy Communion.

Fast

Placed before Communion liturgical fast. For newcomers who have fallen away and have not observed the multi-day and one-day (Wednesday and Friday) fasts established by the Church, a 7-day fast is required before Communion. If certain conditions and necessity exist, with the blessing of the priest, you can fast before Communion at other times.

Fasting, in addition to food restrictions, also consists of eating and drinking less than usual, and also refraining from visiting the theater, watching entertaining films and programs, and listening to secular music. It is necessary to maintain bodily and mental purity. Spouses should abstain from physical contact on the day before and after communion.

On the eve of communion, from 12 o'clock at night, a strict fast begins - complete abstinence from drinking and food (in the morning, going to church for communion, you are not allowed to eat or drink anything; those suffering from tobacco addiction must also abstain from their passion).

Mood and behavior

Those preparing for Holy Communion must make peace with everyone and protect themselves from feelings of anger and irritation, refrain from condemnation and all indecent thoughts and conversations, spending time, as far as possible, in solitude, reading the Word of God (Gospel) and books of spiritual content.

Confession

Those who wish to receive communion must, on the eve, before or after the evening service, confess their sins to God in the presence of a witness - a priest, sincerely opening their soul and not hiding a single sin they have committed and have a sincere intention to correct themselves.

When can you take communion during the week? Lent?

– During Lent, adults can receive communion on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays; small children - on Saturdays and Sundays.

Why are infants not given communion at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts?

– The fact is that at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, the Chalice contains only blessed wine, and the particles of the Lamb (the Bread transposed into the Body of Christ) are pre-saturated with the Blood of Christ. Since infants, due to their physiology, cannot be given communion with a part of the Body, and there is no Blood in the Chalice, they are not given communion during the Presanctified Liturgy.

Is it possible to take communion several times on one day?

- No one and under no circumstances should receive communion twice on the same day. If the Holy Gifts are given from several Chalice, they can only be received from one.

Is it possible to receive communion after Unction without Confession?

– Unction does not cancel Confession. At the Unction, not all sins are forgiven, but only forgotten and unconscious ones.

How to give communion to a sick person at home?

– The patient’s relatives must first agree with the priest about the time of Communion and about measures to prepare the sick person for this Sacrament.

How to give communion to a one-year-old child?

– If a child is not able to remain calmly in church for the entire service, then he can be brought to the end of the Liturgy - to the beginning of the singing of the Lord’s Prayer and then given communion.

Is it possible for a child under 7 years old to eat before Communion? Is it possible for sick people to receive communion without an empty stomach?

– Only in exceptional cases is it allowed to receive communion without an empty stomach. This issue is resolved individually in consultation with a priest. Infants under 7 years of age are allowed to receive communion without an empty stomach. Children should be taught to abstain from food and drink before Communion from an early age.

Is it possible to take communion if you haven’t been to all-night vigil? Is it possible to receive communion if you have fasted, but have not read or did not finish reading the rule?

– Such issues can only be resolved with the priest individually. If the reasons for absence from the all-night vigil or failure to follow the prayer rules are valid, then the priest may allow communion. It is not the number of prayers read that is important, but the disposition of the heart, living faith, repentance for sins, intention to improve your life.

Are we sinners worthy to receive communion often?

– “It is not the healthy who need a physician, but the sick” (Luke 5:31). There is not a single person on earth worthy of Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, and if people do receive communion, it is only by the special mercy of God. It is the sinners, the unworthy, the weak, who more than anyone else need this saving source - like the sick in treatment. And those who consider themselves unworthy and exclude themselves from Communion are like heretics and pagans.

With sincere repentance, God forgives a person’s sins, and Communion gradually corrects his shortcomings.

The basis for deciding the question of how often one should receive communion is the degree of preparedness of the soul, its love for the Lord, and the strength of its repentance. Therefore, the Church leaves this issue to priests and spiritual fathers to decide.

If you feel cold after Communion, does this mean that you received Communion unworthily?

– Coldness occurs in those who seek consolation from Communion, but who considers himself unworthy, grace remains with him. However, when after Communion there is no peace and joy in the soul, one must see this as a reason for deep humility and contrition for sins. But there is no need to despair and mourn: there should be no selfish attitude towards the Sacrament. In addition, the Sacraments are not always reflected in the feelings, but also act in secret.

How to behave on the day of Communion?

– The Day of Communion is a special day for the Christian soul, when it mysteriously unites with Christ. These days should be spent as great holidays, devoting them as much as possible to solitude, prayer, concentration and spiritual reading.

After Communion, we must ask the Lord to help us preserve the gift with dignity and not return back, that is, to previous sins.

It is necessary to especially protect yourself in the first hours after Communion: at this time, the enemy of the human race is trying in every possible way so that a person insults the shrine, and it would stop consecrating him. A shrine can be insulted by sight, a careless word, hearing, or condemnation. On the day of Communion, one must eat moderately, not have fun, and behave decently.

You should protect yourself from idle talk, and to avoid it, you need to read the Gospel, the Jesus Prayer, akathists, and the lives of saints.

Is it possible to kiss the cross after Communion?

– After the Liturgy, all those praying venerate the cross: both those who received communion and those who did not.

Is it possible to kiss icons and the priest’s hand after Communion and bow to the ground?

– After Communion, before drinking, you should refrain from kissing icons and the priest’s hand, but there is no such rule that those receiving communion should not kiss icons or the priest’s hand on this day and not bow to the ground. It is important to keep your tongue, thoughts and heart from all evil.

Is it possible to replace Communion by drinking Epiphany water with artos (or antidor)?

– This erroneous opinion about the possibility of replacing Communion with Epiphany water with artos (or antidor) arose, perhaps, due to the fact that people who have canonical or other obstacles to Communion of the Holy Mysteries are allowed to drink Epiphany water with antidor for consolation. However, this cannot be understood as an equivalent replacement. Communion cannot be replaced by anything.

Can children under 14 years of age receive communion without Confession?

– Without Confession, only children under 7 years old can receive communion. From the age of 7, children receive communion only after Confession.

How to prepare for confession and communion? Preparing for confession and communion, especially for the first time, raises many, many questions. I remember my first communion. How difficult it was for me to figure everything out. In this article you will get answers to the questions: what to say in confession to a priest - an example? How to take communion and confession correctly? rules for communion in church? How to confess for the first time? how to prepare for communion? The answer to these questions is given by the modern Greek preacher Archimandrite Andrei (Konanos) and other priests.

Communion was instituted by Jesus Christ Himself at his last meal with the Apostles. The modern Greek preacher and theologian Archimandrite Andrei (Konanos) says, if people realized what a gift of unity with God they receive during communion, because now the blood of Christ flows in their veins... if they realized this fully, their lives would change a lot!

But, unfortunately, most people during communion are like children playing with precious stones and those who do not understand their value.

Rules for communion can be found in any Temple. They are usually presented in a small book called “HOW TO PREPARATE FOR HOLY COMMUNION.” These are the simple rules:

• Before communion you need Fast for 3 days- there is only plant foods(no meat, dairy or eggs).
• Need to be at the evening service the day before communion.
• Need to confess either at the evening service or on the day of communion at the very beginning of the liturgy (the morning service, during which communion takes place).
• Need a few more days pray hard- for this, read morning and evening prayers and read the canons: Canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ ,
  Canon of prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos,
  Canon to the Guardian Angel,
  Follow-up to Holy Communion *. * If you have never read the Canons (in Church Slavonic), you can listen to the audio (available on prayer book sites at the links provided).
• You need to take communion on an empty stomach (do not eat or drink anything in the morning). An exception is made for sick people, such as diabetics, for whom food and medicine are vital.

If you begin to receive communion at every liturgy, every Sunday, your confessor will be able to allow you to fast less and not read all the indicated prayers. Don’t be afraid to ask the priest and consult with him.

How is communion celebrated in church?

Suppose you decide to take communion on Sunday. This means that the night before (Saturday) you need to come to the evening service. Usually evening service in Temples starts at 17:00. Find out what time the liturgy (morning service) begins on Sunday, at which the communion itself will take place. Usually, the morning service in Temples begins at 9:00. If there was no confession at the evening service, then you confess at the beginning of the morning service.

About halfway through the service, the Priest will remove the Chalice from the altar. Everyone who was preparing for communion gathers near the chalice and folds their hands on their chest, right over left. They approach the bowl carefully so as not to tip it over. The priest gives the communicants the Holy Gifts with a spoon - a piece of the body and blood of Christ under the guise of bread and wine.

After this, you need to go to the end of the Temple, where you will be given a drink. This is water diluted with wine. You need to drink it down so that not a single drop or crumb of the Eucharist is wasted. Only after this can you cross yourself. At the end of the service, prayers of thanksgiving should be heard.

How to prepare for confession? What to say to a priest in confession - an example? List of sins

The main rule in confession, which priests always remind us of, is not to recount sins. Because if you start retelling the story of how you committed a sin, then you will unwittingly begin to justify yourself and blame others. Therefore, in confession, sins are simply named. For example: pride, envy, foul language, etc. And so as not to forget anything, use a list of sins against God, against neighbors, against oneself(usually such a list is in the book “HOW TO PREPARE FOR HOLY COMMUNION.”

Write down your sins on a piece of paper so you don’t forget anything. Come to the Temple early in the morning so as not to be late for confession and the general prayer before confession. Before confession, go to the priest, cross yourself, venerate the Gospel and the cross, and begin listing your pre-recorded sins. After confession, the priest will read a prayer of permission and tell you whether you are allowed to receive communion.

It very rarely happens when a priest, for your correction, does not allow you to take communion. This is also a test of your pride.

It is important during confession, naming a sin, to promise yourself not to repeat it. It is very important on the eve of communion to reconcile with your enemies and forgive your offenders.

How to confess for the first time?

The first confession is often called the general confession. As a rule, a piece of paper with a list of sins includes almost all the sins from the list of sins against God, one’s neighbor and oneself. The priest will probably understand that you have come to confession for the first time and will help you with advice on how to try not to repeat sins and mistakes.

I hope the article “How to prepare for confession and communion?” will help you decide and go to confession and communion. This is important for your soul, because confession is the cleansing of the soul. We wash our bodies every day, but we don’t care about the purity of our souls!

If you have never confessed or received communion and it seems to you that it is very difficult to prepare, I recommend that you still perform this feat. The reward will be great. I assure you that you have never experienced anything like this before. After communion, you will feel an extraordinary and incomparable spiritual joy.

The most difficult thing usually seems to be reading the canons and following to Holy Communion. Indeed, it is difficult to read the first time. Use the audio recording and listen to all these prayers over 2-3 evenings.

Listen in this video to the story of priest Andrei Tkachev about how much time (usually several years) separates a person from the desire to go to the first confession until the moment of the first confession.

I wish everyone to enjoy life and thank God for everything!

Alena Kraeva